An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Hon. Abiodun Gbolagade, has declared himself the authentic winner of the primary election for the Oluyole Federal Constituency seat. Speaking at a press conference in Ibadan, Gbolagade rejected the parallel primary that returned the incumbent lawmaker, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, labeling it illegal and unrecognised by local party stakeholders.
Gbolagade maintained that the only valid primary was the direct election conducted across designated coalition centres in the local government area. He stated that he secured 2,315 votes, while Akande-Sadipe gathered only 33 votes from supporters who took part in the official process. He further alleged that the incumbent lawmaker did not personally participate in the direct primary but later claimed victory through an unauthorized exercise held elsewhere.
According to the aspirant, he entered the race after Akande-Sadipe initially signaled her intention not to seek another term. Gbolagade noted that local party leaders subsequently persuaded him to run to rebuild the party’s grassroots base, a task into which he heavily invested resources and mobilised members ahead of the voting. He added that the APC National Working Committee had already requested his ward-by-ward result sheets with assurances of protecting his mandate.
To protect his claims, Gbolagade revealed he has approached the Federal High Court to challenge the recognition of Akande-Sadipe. He admitted that court officials have encountered difficulties serving the lawmaker with the legal processes but expressed absolute confidence that the judiciary will uphold his mandate.
While appealing to party loyalists to maintain order, Gbolagade stated that his team remains fully focused on preparing for the 2027 general elections. He reiterated that Oluyole APC leadership has formally notified both state and national organs that the constituency will only stand behind the candidate produced through the lawful direct primary.
